


rewind, reverse, retry

by spellboundsouls



Category: TWICE (Band)
Genre: Dahyun-centric, F/F, WAM LiS AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-22
Updated: 2020-09-22
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:22:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,372
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26599750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spellboundsouls/pseuds/spellboundsouls
Summary: In which the backstage girl gets to be a movie star.Except the movie is her life and she's the—disastrously appointed—editor.Or:The time-traveling misadventures of one Kim Dahyun.(a life is strange au of niigoki's we're a mess)
Relationships: Chou Tzuyu/Son Chaeyoung, Hirai Momo/Im Nayeon, Hirai Momo/Myoui Mina, Im Nayeon/Yoo Jeongyeon, Kim Dahyun/Minatozaki Sana, Myoui Mina/Yoo Jeongyeon
Comments: 2
Kudos: 35





	rewind, reverse, retry

**Author's Note:**

  * For [niigoki](https://archiveofourown.org/users/niigoki/gifts).
  * Inspired by [we're a mess (let's finish what we started)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12462399) by [niigoki](https://archiveofourown.org/users/niigoki/pseuds/niigoki). 



> For Nick. Very much hope you enjoy, friend <3

It was Saturday. 

Dahyun was having fun. Being able to assume a different identity for a while was nice. Even if Dahyun The Lame was almost as much of a loser as the real deal. She was easy to use as a tool for making her friends laugh, thus she was enough.

(That, and the thought of having special powers would always be exciting.)

Two rolls away from succeeding at replacing her old title with that of The Badass and becoming a legend of her realm, Dahyun relished in the energy around her, the intense atmosphere created by what came of her own silly idea: Jeongyeon and Chaeyoung’s gleeful cheers. Jihyo’s frustrated protests. Tzuyu’s entertained smile. 

They fueled her.

Success. Dahyun's heart raced. Everyone struggled to keep their feelings under control.

One last roll.

The tension was suffocating. No one dared breathe as the die came to a stop to reveal the number…

20.

“ _Are you serious?!”_ Jihyo kicked her rant off in a rare outrage. It took her several minutes to calm down.

That day, a miracle happened. Dahyun, against all odds, achieved legendary status. As the pretend wizard once again took in her surroundings, abdomen suffering from the excessive laughter, a thought crossed her mind:

_If only I could be a real hero._

“Dubs, what are you doing, we’re not done making fun of Jihyo yet!”

Chaeyoung’s call had Dahyun fading back into reality (and Jihyo rolling her eyes— “You are insufferable.”) Naturally, she whipped around and, in her returning excitement, tripped on the edge of the coffee table. On instinct, she reached out a hand, but managed to regain her footing after a shaky stumble. Distracted by the pain shooting through her foot, she only remembered to open her eyes when Chaeyoung spoke to her.

“Dubs, dude, watch where you’re going! Get over here, we’re not done making fun of Jihyo yet!”

Jihyo rolled her eyes. “You are insufferable.”

Dahyun paused.

_Didn’t that already…_

It couldn’t have. Dahyun must’ve been so lost in her head that the following _assault_ on her _innocent_ toes disoriented her into confusion. That made more sense. Assured, the group's hero of the day limped back to making Jihyo's life difficult. 

"Oh my god, no need to be so dramatic."

"That's real rich coming from someone who had a thirteen-minute monologue after losing," Dahyun shot back with a laugh.

Jihyo fumed. "It's not the same! If you had _any_ idea how long—"

"Dahyun! Look what you did!" Jeongyeon complained.

Cursed be the one who dares invoke Jihyo's rage.

(Mayhaps Dahyun The Badass had had a lapse of judgment.)

Not much later, Sana turned to Dahyun in awe. 

“ _I can’t believe you’re a time traveler.”_

Dahyun was certain she'd never been worthy of such a look. But Sana was more magic than any spell she'd cast, and she looked at Dahyun like she was wrong. It was enough.

On the same night, Dahyun hugged Sana to sleep. She hadn’t been of much help to her troubles. Sana looked comfortable, at least. It was enough.

Or was it?

_Maybe she was destined to be a hero only in games._

Sana clung to her a bit tighter. Something shifted inside Dahyun. She left a tiny kiss on her hair.

Or maybe…

Maybe she could be a real hero if she tried.

That was the last thing on Dahyun’s mind before also succumbing to sleep.

\--

Sana would never disappear without reason. There had to be a problem. Dahyun had to find her, check on her, be there. 

She'd do exactly that.

_"Woah, easy there!"_ It was Jihyo. She asked if Dahyun could help with Nayeon's play (and, by the looks of it, sanity). Her friends needed her. She couldn't refuse. 

Jihyo was walking away, lighter than before, when Dahyun failed to resist the urge to ask.

_"Hey!"_ She held a hand up. 

That's when it happened. 

The world moved in reverse before Dahyun's eyes. The students navigating corridors around her all involuntarily receded towards their starting point. Then her environment stabilized and they resumed their paths, fully unaware.

_What. Just. Happened._

"Dahyun? Are you okay?" 

Dahyun's head snapped in Jihyo's direction.

Jihyo, who was now back to standing in front of her.

"Jihyo..? What..?"

Jihyo, who appeared confused at her astonishment.

"I asked if you could help Nayeon backstage... Is something the matter?"

"I— Didn't you already..."

Not seeming to get the memo, Jihyo's frown deepened.

"N-Nevermind... I'll help with the play." 

_"Thank you," Jihyo sighed, relieved._ "I'll see if I can find the others, could you ask for me if you meet them?"

"Uh, sure." And before Jihyo could turn away again— "Wait!" 

She halted. 

"Have you seen Sana at all?"

Jihyo's eyes narrowed the slightest bit. _"No, why?"_

She didn't believe Dahyun's lame explanation and it showed, but, thankfully, so did her inability to investigate. 

Before leaving for good, Jihyo stopped and faced her one last time. "Dahyun?" She sounded as burdened as she looked. "Consider talking to someone?" 

Dahyun was left unable to form any response other than a sad smile.

_Caring the most, as always._

Even on her way to aid Nayeon, Sana wouldn't leave her mind, so Dahyun went ahead and sent her a few texts. She hesitated on the last one. Considered it longer. 

_With nothing to lose, she pressed 'send'._

**_[DubuDab, 11:46am]:_ **

_Love you_

Still plagued by thoughts of how Sana might be, now joined by fresh concerns about Nayeon, the earlier incident slipped Dahyun's mind.

\--

Preparing for a play was as hectic as it gets, Dahyun learned. She knew it wasn't painless work, but this was on a different level. The moment she was done with one task, she'd be called to do another or spot someone in need of assistance. She didn't even see Nayeon until over an hour in.

"Dahyun!" The ever-radiant girl greeted with a small hug. "How come you dropped by?" 

"Hey, Nayeon," Dahyun grinned in response. "I bumped into Jihyo and she asked if I could fill in for her, so..." 

Nayeon let out a sigh. Dahyun hadn't noticed how tired she was. "Of course she did. Listen, Dahyunnie, I appreciate you showing up, and I won't say we don't need the help, but you don't have to be here if you'd rather not." She smiled, the tiredness leaving her face in a flash. It appeared genuine.

Taking the out Nayeon offered was tempting. There were more than a few things she'd rather be doing. 

But Dahyun had seen the look in Jihyo's eyes. She couldn't relent. What kind of hero would she be then? 

"I'm fine, I like being useful. I'm doing well, too, Mr. Kwon even called me 'star girl' earlier!" 

At the wiggle of her eyebrows, Nayeon laughed and ruffled her hair. "Alright then, star girl, I'll leave you to it." But not before she let her hand travel lower and lovingly cup her face. "Thank you," she whispered, a softness in her eyes, one Dahyun realized she hadn't seen in a long time. 

"Always welcome," she responded with a matching tenderness. 

Their shared affection was enough.

Not ten seconds passed before Mr. Kwon got on their case for slacking. 

_(I don't see you hustling, my stars!)_

Half a laugh and one temporary goodbye later, Dahyun was back to work, filling in the scenery's backgrounds. 

She was helping a guy construct a quirky-looking tree when Mr. Kwon caught her eye, winking. Dahyun beamed back.

The man had been all over the place, constantly checking in, giving pointers, and doing work of his own. He was a weird mix of frantic and put-together but it was clear how much he cared. His passion motivated Dahyun to push on too. If not for the art, she'd do it for Nayeon.

Dahyun truly did love her friends the most. 

With the three-hour mark approaching, Dahyun was exhausted; She could swear her soul was fighting to escape her body. 

( _Dahyun, help me with my lines real quick!_

_Hey star girl, could you carry this for me?_

_Oh, Dahyunnie! Right as I wondered who gets to double-check on the costumes!)_

Turns out being 'star girl' was every bit as demanding as being the main character.

Backstage heroes had it rough.

Jennie had noticed her roaming around almost as much as Mr. Kwon and offered to take a small break with her. Dahyun couldn't be more grateful. She was pleasant company, not nearly as bad as Jeongyeon and Momo were convinced every theater kid was— save for Nayeon, of course.

"No way, you actually got it?!" Jennie's face was the epitome of bewilderment. 

A smug Dahyun leaned back on the desk behind them, slightly pushing the small box resting there. "Yup. You should've seen Jihyo's face. It took her like an hour to get over it," she supplied playfully.

"Oh, I would pay to see _that._ She's so serious and collected all the time. To think she would act so childish..." Jennie gave a giggle, eyes closed. "You're something else, Dahyun The Badass."

Dahyun laughed, half amused and half shy. She turned away from Jennie to compose herself, knocking the cardboard box off the table in the process. 

"No—!" Dahyun extended her arm in an attempt to catch it before it hit the floor, but it was too late.

Or so she thought. 

The box's contents (a bunch of props, some of which had broken) neatly arranged themselves back into their places. And, like clockwork, the box proceeded to inexplicably hover its way back to the table, near the edge, where Dahyun had earlier pushed it on accident. 

Behind her, Jennie giggled. "You're something else, D— Hey, where are you going?"

Images flashed before Dahyun's eyes.

Herself outside class a few hours earlier, hand outstretched towards Jihyo's back while everything moved in reverse.

_No way._

"Dahyun? Did something happen?"

Saturday at Tzuyu's. Chaeyoung and Jihyo unnaturally repeating themselves.

_This can't be happening._

"I— Yeah, I... Feel sick. All of a sudden. I-I need to go, can you handle Mr. Kwon for me if he asks?" 

"...Sure. You should get some rest." Jennie sounded apprehensive.

Dahyun failed to care. 

"Thanks, I owe you one."

And she was bolting away.

"Take care." It was faint in the buzz of the theater. Dahyun heard it nonetheless. 

She didn't turn around. 

\--

Green.

Trees and flowers.

Shade and comfort.

Dahyun slowed down, blinking at the familiar setting.

Her feet had led her to the courtyard.

Subconsciously, she'd recognized the dorm not being an option, not when she'd risk running into her roommates in this state. She couldn't afford to be asked _more_ questions she didn't have the slightest answer to.

And, apparently, her brain had defaulted to the nearest place capable of providing enough peace and solitude for Dahyun to figure out what appeared to be, by far, the most bizarre situation she'd ever found herself in.

Of course it would be _there._

It was the place where she'd tentatively made her first steps of bravery. Where she first managed to soothe Sana's new, _unfair_ struggles and melt her defenses away for a precious moment. Where Dahyun and Sana had run away together. 

On that starry night, they'd shared their first kiss, at the place which served as their sanctuary in those serene moments where they belonged to each other, no problems, no complications; Just them.

Dahyun's heart warmed at the memories with the girl she loved. She wound up walking to the fountain while reminiscing.

At the thought of Sana, worries resurfaced. Dahyun forced them away. As proven twice already, she was unable to hold a proper conversation without potentially freaking out. She wouldn't be of much use to anyone until she got a grip on herself.

With newfound determination, she went about attempting to reach a conclusion. 

Likeliest scenario first:

Was she losing her mind?

It _was_ the end of the semester, stress hit everyone in tsunamis on a bi-hourly basis.

Was it even possible for her to consistently hallucinate so heavily? It couldn't be, right? Not off drugs, at least. Which meant it was either real or she had to start _seriously_ worrying about herself. 

Only one way to find out.

If it was indeed a thing _she_ caused, there had to be some kind of trigger. Dahyun wracked her brain for similarities between the three incidents. 

There had been... Abrupt distress or urgency? So, getting caught off guard? That couldn't be right, she had to have done _something..._

...Her arm. Her arm! She'd instinctively reached out her hand all three times!

Did that mean..? 

_Here goes..._

Dahyun snapped her hand forward and— 

Nothing.

_Yup._

Next came trying it at different heights; Maybe there was a sweet spot she had to hit for it to work. 

It only occurred to Dahyun that she looked like a lunatic a good three minutes after she'd switched to moving her hand as one does a malfunctioning remote in front of their TV. 

What was she doing?

With a sigh, Dahyun took a seat on the edge of the fountain. Might as well recharge a bit while she did her last-ditch brainstorming. 

Perhaps she was focusing too hard on the physical aspect of it. After all, wizards don't cast their spells solely through movement. If she actively tried to concentrate on _willing_ time to reverse, she could increase her—

Dahyun jolted onto her feet, yelping at the splash of water soaking her back. _Are you—_

_Watch out, the fountain malfunctions sometimes. It might spray some water on you._

Again, Dahyun sighed, this time in defeat. She _had_ been warned. No point in getting mad over it. 

_Hold up._

Her newly wet shirt would serve as perfect proof of whether or not she'd acquired magical abilities. 

Dahyun held her hand up.

_If it dries..._

She closed her eyes. Took a deep breath. Tensed her arm in place. And...

_Go back._

Dahyun waited a few seconds. Opened her eyes, then pat her back for good measure.

Her shirt was dry.

Before she could even wrap her head around what happened, the fountain splashed out water, getting a few droplets on her and making her breath catch. 

There was no doubt about it.

Dahyun could rewind time.

**Author's Note:**

> mindblown :O
> 
> Thank you for reading!
> 
> Huge thank you to W for stepping in as an emergency beta and V for agreeing to be the designated beta. Y'all are the best.
> 
> uhh if anyone reads this and likes it you can find me @lysminatozaki on twitter??


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